The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
County Employment and Wages in Kansas — Fourth Quarter 2024
Employment rose in all four of Kansas’ largest counties from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Shawnee County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Kansas, December 2024
County
Percent change, December 2024
Shawnee
1.6
Johnson
1.1
Sedgwick
0.9
Wyandotte
0.9
Among the four largest counties in Kansas, employment was highest in Johnson (376,500) in December 2024. Together, the four largest counties accounted for 58.0 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)
Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024
All four large Kansas counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Shawnee had the largest gain (+5.9 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Kansas’ other three large counties ranged from 4.9 percent to 1.9 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Kansas, fourth quarter 2024
County
Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Shawnee
5.9
Johnson
4.9
Sedgwick
3.8
Wyandotte
1.9
Weekly wages in all four of the largest counties in Kansas were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,490 in Johnson to $1,194 in Shawnee.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 101 small counties in Kansas, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all of the 101 smaller counties were below the national average. Coffey reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,243). Chautauqua reported the lowest average weekly wage ($689) in the state.
Among all 105 Kansas counties, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $825, 22 registered wages from $825 to $899, 23 had wages from $900 to $974, 26 had wages from $975 to $1,049, and 18 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Kansas, fourth quarter 2024
(U.S. average = $1,507)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.
Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the four largest counties in Kansas, fourth quarter 2024
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Kansas, fourth quarter 2024
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
